Towel washing and ironing machine



Sept. 9, 1952 A. MILLER 2,609,623

TOWEL WASHING AND IRONING momma:

Filed March 17, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. I. Fi .2.

i is 20 52 20 54 T 54 -17 Inventor Abba Miller WW 5 M 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 3

A. MILLER TOWEL WASHING AND IRONING MACHINE Sept. 9, 1952 Filed March 17, 1947 m w Dr W Sept. 9, 1952 A, MMER 2,609,623

TOWEL WASHING AND IRQNING MACHINE Filed Marqh 17. 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet Figa 4o I v 2O I I8. 15 I E I'l 7 ,r 55 24 33 32 3 35 as l I I l 25 E} I I i '54 70- g E 1- r 4-:

I I I I I if g "I 54 l I 51 -52 I I; {50- IE I I 7' l I 0 Inventor Abba Miller By w #4109 Sept. 9, 1952 A. MILLER 2,609,623

TOWEL WASHING AND IRONING MACHINE Filed March 17, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig. 5.

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Inventor Abba Miller B, 2mm

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Sept. 9, 1952 A. MILLER TOWEL WASHING AND IRONING MACHINE 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 17, 1947 m m 5 h. f o A 9 M 5%! a a w 7 m M N A M 8 .4 W a imp 8 8 O J .I. a V 7 Q m 7 P 4 3 5 4 5 5 5 7 5 4 4 4 v f O 9 6 4 4. 5 O 9 N .W 3 6 5 2 F 5 5 Sept. 9, 1952 A MILLER 2,609,623

TOWEL WASHING AND IRONING MACHINE Filed March 17, 194'; 6 Sheets-Sheet a 55 ll 43 Ill I7 90 42 24 47 4a V 1 0 .LEE 1",: 2 z 41 F 41 0 4 34 33 l 59 x 34 36-- 34 64 I9- I=I=MI= )JJHJH- 36*" 35 35 35 v 36" 64 f as 36 34 1K fi T l Fig. 8.

J L f Inventor Abba Miller relates. r

Patented Sept. 9, 1952 daemons A plicatio -Muslin, 1947;?Serial-No. rsaz'co- 2 Glaims. (o1. sis- 2).

This-invention relates to a towel washing and ironing machine and more-particularly to a machine for ironing an endless towel. In many places, such as public or industrial washrooms, it has been found expedient to employ dispensing machines by "which a portion or an endless ironing ready for replacementin the machine.

As a consequence continuous" servicing of machine is required, and zla'bor ie-"expended in transporting the soiled towels to the laundry and returning 'the laundered towels to the machine. The primary ob j'ect of thi's 'invention'iis to effect economies in both time and labor; by elimmating the periodic servicing -recuiired lay ma chines ot" the type {to which this invention Another object is to present to each user a clean; fresh surface ofthe towel. I

gA further-object is automatically 'to' energize the heating of the unit through the action of a prospective user of the towel. v The above and otlierobjects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among'as features -a towel washing unit, a towel ironing unit, a heating element for each unit and means operated automatically by a prospective usei' -of'theftowel to -;energ-ize the heating elements. r .e v r Other features include-acabi-ne't having -a front and back wall, the front wall or the cabinet having a slot through which the endless towel is' '-advanced; a'slot through which the towel enters the cabinetafter 'having beenusedfia towel washing unit into which the soiledpor-tion of the towel is introduced and washed, and an ironing unit through which-the towel passes after leaving the washing unitfand from which {the freshly'laundered towel is fed through the first I figured as a from; view of a towel laimdeiing certain detail's of construction,

cabinet ipped with an endless towel rand einbodying the features of this invention, v .r

Flgure 2 is :a side view-of thefright'sidecofzthe cabinet when viewed as illustrated in Figure-'1, Figure B is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the .towel cabinet,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view through the for-wardlendof-theiloworDore tioniof the cabinet, 4 Figure 5is asectlonal view 'takensubstantially along the line 5-,-5 of'Fig-ure 3; Figure :6. is :a fragmentary enlarged sidelview, similar i-tol Figure certain portion of .i he cabinet broken away more clearly to illustrate Figure '7 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the :line '|-'1 of Figure .3, and :Figure 8 is a view illustrating the diagram :for the. heating/unit.

Reierring to the drawings in detail acabinet designated generally 1'5 is constructed of a suit able frame 14 upon which :side panels Hare supported in any suitable manner. -These-:side panels are cut away at their upper portions-as at +8 to form :a recess which extends across the front face of the machine. The rear side oi the machine is closed by a rear panel [9 and a, front panel 20 closes the front sideof the machine and follows the contour ofthe forward edges of the side panels 1-! as wi-llbe readily seen uponrefierence to Figure fi. A cap 21 closes the upperiend of the =0abinet and :is formed as a continuation of the front panel 20,. Formed in the front panel near its' .lower edge is a transversely-extending slot 22,,a-nd a-simila-r slot 23 is formed near the upper end of the front panelraswillu-be readily understood upon reference to the drawings. -Exztending from theiront to the basket the cabinet adjacentopposite side panels and immediately below; the lowerend are horizontally extending .supportingbars 24, and spaced a short distance loelowthe bars 24 arehorizontally extending-supportingbars 25.. Suspendedfrom the supporting 'bars 25 and extending transversely of the ma.- chine is a series of transversely. v -shaped tubs 26,121, 28,29,311 and 3| constituting respectively tubs for containing water for soaking the; towel, a tub containing washing fluid tor the toweL-a tub for containing rinsing. fluid for thetowel, ;.a tub for containing bleach, a second rinsing tub, and a receptacle into which "the drippings from the. towel are deposited in the wringing process.

Extending transversely between the upper .bars '24 are longitudinally.spaced supporting :rods .32 pon which are oivotallymounted, adjacent-ropi ng posite ends, arms 33 carrying at their lower ends pressure rolls 34, and coupled to a cross bar 33' extending between each pair of arms 33 is one end of a retractile coil spring 35, the oppositeend of which is attached to a bar 32 of an adjacent pair of arm's. Extending transversely of the machine and mounted to rotate between the bars 25 are guide rolls 36 each of which aligns with ef s t ca axis of the a ex f rmed e junction;- of the divergjent walls of ithe 'tubs previously referred to a'nd'the rolls snare yieldingly held by the spring 35 against a towel which is v trained over the guide rolls 3%. Suspended on longitudinally spaced bars v3! .which align with a the vertical axis of the tubs previously mentioned are frames 38 which project downwardly" into their respective tubs andsupport.at-the'ir lower ends guide rollers 39 over which the towel is trained. Supported'by the frames near their chain is moved, the shafts ii-will be driven in unison'soas to rotatethe'rollers 36 inv unison therewith. It will'thus be seen that a :towel trained overthe 'rollers 36 and the rollers 39'will be passed from on'e tub to the-other in sequence. Mounted in' a' suitableframe 44" on the-right side of the machine when viewed from the front is a drive shaft-45*to which is fixed a large drive sprocket 45.- A drive'g'ear 41 is rhounted'on 'the shaft 45 to rotate-therewith which meshes' with a drive pinion 48'carried at the-outer end of the foremost shaft; so that when the sprocket 48 is rota-ted the rolls 35 will ire-driven. As illustrated the drive sprocket 4B is mountedne arthe lower end of 'the cut out portion I 8 adjacent the front face of the machine, and trained over this sprocket is a drive chain 49 which runs over an idler sprocket: 50"1'n0unted to rotate about a shaft carried on the right side of the'machine near the base thereof. Attached to the drive chairi49 at spaced intervals are angle brackets 52 which project outwardly therefrom' and pivot-ally conne cted as at 53 to'e'ach angle'bracketis atreadle 54. A curved guard plate 55 extends around the upper portion of the ira-me 44 in which the sprocket-46 operates, and serves as a cam surface pressure in order to set the feed mechanism into operation. Mounted on the guard plate adjacent the lower forward end is a suitable switch 56 which is coupled through the medium of a conventional cable 51 to the heating elements of the machine to bemore fully herein-after -.-de-

scribed. I

Mounted'for rotation'in depending ears 58 carried by the lower bars 25 near their forward ends .is a shaft 59 which projects outwardly beyond the right side of'the machine and'carries a drive pinion 60. which meshes with the pinion 48 so 4 that when the drive gear 41 is rotated the shaft 59 will rotate in unison therewith. Extending transversely of the machine adjacent its forward end and near the upper and lower ends thereof are supporting bars 6| in which vertically extending shafts B2 and '53 are mounted to rotate. The shafts 62 are provided at their upper ends with beveled pinions 64 which mesh with beveled pinions fifi carriedpy the shaft interme- .of these shafts extending supporting bar 66, and carriedintermediate the ends of the shafts 62 and 63 are sprock- ;ets ,B- l-over =which;drive chains 58 are trained. Mounted to rotate with each shaft 62 and 53 aa a'cenei-tg lower end is a plate 69 which is pro vided with an annular row of openings into which the lower ends of wiper arms 10 are received. The-upper ends of the wiper arms are bent inwardly as at H and attached to the shafts 62 and .63 between the. sprockets 6] and the;plates '69. These? wiper bars-are adapted to rub against the towel as, it is being fed into the machine in order to spread it-transversely and avoid the formation of longitudinal wrinkles therein. Mountedon a' suitable bracket 12' (Fig; 3) near the slot'22- in thefrontwall 20am guide barsl'3 whichserve-to direct the towel into the slot. -A guide bar 7 4 extendstransversely of the machine immediately inside of :theslot 22 and the r towei is directed .downwardlywover-an idler roll 15 and then upwardly toward the I foremost roll, 36,,and in the'path of the rotary spreaders 10. -It will thus be seen that thetowel will be spread before it enters the'first tub26; 1

'. Upon leaving the last tub" 30' thetowel passes over the roll. 3Gv adjacent the :upper rear end thereof and thence downwardly between a pair of wringer. rolls 16 fromwhenceit passes upwardly betweenuthe last feed roll 36 andits respective pressure roll 34. Upon leaving ,the washing and wringing portion of the machine, the towel passes upwardly over a transversely elliptical ironingsurface 11 and drive roll 78 and thence downwardly over an idler roll 19 from whence. it passes through a tortuous path over drive rolls 8U andidler roll BI and a drive roll 82 to pass outwardlyof the machine. through the slot 23 ;over suitable guides ,;-83. The elliptical ironing surface 11 contains a suitable heating element, v84 of conventional form and mounted perature will be governed by the setting of the thermostat 85. p v

- In order that the towel may properly befed and held under correct tension while passing over the ellipticalironing surface 11 the shafts of the rolls 18,60 and 82 are extended through a side wall of the machine and are equipped with sprockets-81. An endless chain 88 is trained over the sprockets 81 and a suitable guide roller ,89, and this chain runs over a drive sprocket 3 0 .which is driven-by a sprocket 90' (Figure 5) which meshes with the lower run of the chain .43.

It will-thus beseen'that the towel feedrollers 18, and 82 will be driven in unison with the rollers 36. a

%;.:.Inuse;i it; will be; nd t that fa sun; of

toweling of the desired width is introduced into the machine through the slots 22 and 23. and threaded over the rollers 36 and 39 of the tubs, and thence through the wringer rolls [6 and over the elliptical ironing surface Tl. Leaving the ironing surface, the towel continues over the guide rollers 19 and BI and the feed rolls I8, 80 and 82, to be fed outwardly through the slot 23, and joined to the opposite end of the strip, thus forming an endless towel. Obviously, if so desired, a second towel T may be entered in like fashion through the slots 22 and threaded through the various rolls to pass outwardly through the slots 23, but instead of passing downwardly over the front of the machine, the towel T is carried upwardly over the back of the machine to pass beneath the bottom thereof as illustrated in Figure 3 and enter the slots 22. Like the towel T, the ends of the towel T are joined to form an endless belt so that both towels may continuously be fed through the machine.

In use, the user steps on a treadle 54 to cause the sprocket lit to rotate and drive the sprockets 42 and 90, thus driving the rolls 3B, 18, 80 and 82, and feeding the endless towel through the machine. Such operation automatically closes the timing switch 56 and energizes the heating elements 84 and 85, and at the same time feeds a freshly laundered surface of the towel T and the towel T out of the slot 23. The machine is then ready for a second operation and by the repeated feeding of the soiled surfaces of the towels into the slot 22 and spreading the towels by the spreaders they will be ready for introduction into the tub 26 which, as previously explained, preferably contains a soaking fluid such as water. The dirt loosened from the towels in the soaking fluid may readily be washed out in the tub 21 which contains the washing fluid and is heated so that by the time the towel reaches the first heated rinsing vat contained in the tub 28, the dirt will readily be removed in the rinsing solution. The towel is next presented into the bleaching solution contained in the tub 29 and finally rinsed in the tub 30 in clear water. Upon leaving the tub 30, the towel passes through the wringer rolls 16 by which excess moisture is expelled and deposited into receptacle 3|. The partially dried towel is then passed to the ironing surface 11, and thus prepared for reuse. Obviously, the machine may be equipped with coin actuated mechanism, or may be left free for use by the public in general.

Number While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: 7 l. A machine for washing, ironing and dispensing an endless towel comprising a plurality of adjacent vertical tubs open at their upper ends into which successive portions of an endless towel are introduced, an ironing unit mounted within the machine above the tubs over which successive washed portions of a towel are passed,

means mounted in each tub for rubbing the surface of a towel as it is fed through the tubs,

means for feeding a towel progressively and sequentially through said tubs, means mounted within the machine in advance of the tubs for spreading a portion of a towel before it enters the tubs, and aheating unit mounted within the machine between an adjacent pair of tubs.

2. A washing machine for-endless towels comprising a plurality of adjacent tubs through which a towel is adapted to be passed, means mounted above each tub for feeding a towel through the tubs, means associated with the feeding means for pressing a towel against said feeding means, means within each tub for rubbing a towel, an ironing means about which a towel passes after leaving the tubs, means mounted in advance of the tubs for spreading a towel prior to the feeding of a towel into said tubs, and an electrical heating unit mounted in the machine between an adjacent pair of tubs.

ABBA MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 430,925 C'orron June 24, 1890 562,831 Iles June 30, 1896 2,064,512 Wilson Dec. 15, 1936 2,295,955 La Page Sept. 15, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 506,389 Germany Sept. 3, 1930 

